The present invention relates to an apparatus for impact marking of the type comprising a power supply unit; a marking unit; a programmable electronic control unit to manage the actuation of the marking unit.
As is well known, several sectors of the industry require produced or assembled pieces to be adequately marked, i.e. provided with markings indicating, for instance, the manufacturing company, the production lot or relating to other kinds of information.
One of the marking methods employable, whereto the present invention is aimed, consists of composing the desired captions or signs by means of a sequence of points produced by the impact of a punch onto the surface of the piece being processed.
For this purpose, apparatuses are used wherein the aforementioned punch is integrated in a marking unit supported in an offset position above a platform whereon the piece can bear and housing the means for activating the punch, as well as the motors and transmission and guidance organs necessary to allow moving the punch on the surface of the piece.
The operation of the marking unit is managed by an electronic control unit connected via cable to the marking unit itself and able to interface, also through a connecting cable, to a personal computer for programming the marking operation to be performed.
The entire apparatus is powered electrically through a direct connection to the external electrical power grid, as well as pneumatically, by means of a connection of the marking unit to a compressor or to a pneumatic distribution line pre-installed in the plant.
The apparatuses of the kind described above currently have fixed installation, and the pieces to be marked are from time to time positioned on the bearing base below the marking unit.
In numerous applications, however, it would be preferable to have available an easily transportable apparatus, able to be gripped manually in order to be carried directly on the piece undergoing the work process.
To meet such requirements, the applicant has already proposed an embodiment wherein to the marking units are associated grip handles to allow them to be gripped manually, as well as elements for bearing on the piece undergoing the work process to maintain the punch at a suitable distance from its surface. These apparatuses, derived essentially from an adaptation of the fixed position apparatuses, nonetheless present rather limited ease of handling and can be improved in several aspects.
In accordance to the present invention the applicant has observed that for the purposes of the ease of operation of the apparatus, it is advantageous to ready the electronic control unit, with the possible keyboard for its programming, directly associated on the marking unit, as defined in claim 1.
In this way, the need to provide a support seat for the electronic control unit, as well as the cables connecting it to the marking unit.
The control unit can advantageously be made removable from the marking unit, as expressed in claim 3 to allow it to operate remotely from the marking unit itself.
For the purposes of the invention it is also advantageous to provide the apparatus, and in particular the marking unit destined to be handled manually, with an extremely compact and light structure, without thereby compromising its performance, particularly with reference to the amplitude of the working area involved by the operation of the punch.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, which can find application even independently of the presence of the electronic control unit mounted directly on the marking unit, for this purpose the punch is driven by a first motor mounted on the support frame of the marking unit, and by a second motor fixed with respect to a first cursor moved by a first motor as defined in the characterising part of claim 12.
The applicant has further found it advantageous to reduce, as far as possible, the electrical and/or pneumatic consumption of the entire apparatus so that the latter can be used in combination with a small and easily transportable autonomous power supply unit. For this purpose, in accordance with a further inventive aspect which is applicable independently from what is stated above, the operation of the punch is managed through a solenoid valve mounted in immediate proximity to the punch itself as defined in claim 4.